Ultimate Note Episode 25 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
During the expedition, as clues were uncovered and thoughts formed about the secret of longevity, a mysterious entity known as "It" appeared, simultaneously causing roadblocks for the excavation. Wu Erbai had known about this village and its unspeakable secrets for a long time. Upon learning from Hei Yan Jing that Cox Hendry's team had arrived, Wu Erbai immediately brought his own men to the area, convinced that their destination would be incredibly perilous.
After receiving treatment, Fatty and Zhang Qiling began to recover. Fatty, still in bed, complained that his inability to defeat the jade servants was due to days of starvation. He then jokingly blamed Zhang Qiling for his injuries, finally understanding that the metal ingots Zhang Qiling kept under his bed were not treasures but reminders of danger, meant to warn against returning to perilous places like the Mi Luo Tuo cave.
Wu Xie defended Zhang Qiling, reminding Fatty of his amnesia. Despite his injuries, Fatty insisted on getting discharged immediately to resume the search for the ancient building's entrance in the mountains. He was eager to help Zhang Qiling regain his memory, which he believed was tied to the ancient building, and was also concerned that Yun Cai would be worried about him.
Yun Cai, who was tending to his wounds, gently scolded him for returning before fully recovering, but Fatty assured her he was strong and had rushed back because he missed her. Soon after, Cox Hendry's men arrived and led Wu Xie's group to the lakeside. Cox Hendry presented Wu Xie with a silk text. Wu Xie immediately recognized it as a reproduction, to which Cox Hendry admitted, explaining that its true value lay not in its authenticity but its origin.
He revealed that his piece of the Yellow Silk came from Madam Huo, a respected elder of the Mystic Nine. Wu Xie was surprised to learn that Madam Huo had discovered clues about the Yellow Silk even earlier than they had. Cox Hendry commented that the longer one lives, the more secrets they accumulate, especially considering she was one of the last surviving members of the old Mystic Nine generation.
He then asked Wu Xie if his sincerity was sufficient for collaboration. Seeing Cox Hendry's apparent sincerity, Wu Xie agreed to collaborate, but on the condition that Cox Hendry's subordinates would cooperate with his planned actions, which was to search the mountain for the Zhang family's ancient building entrance. Cox Hendry, though hesitant, agreed. After leaving the tent, Wu Xie immediately called Xie Yuchen and informed him about Madam Huo.
Xie Yuchen recalled that Huo Xiuxiu had previously mentioned video tapes from the Golmud Sanatorium were at Madam Huo's house. He reasoned that Madam Huo, having lived so long and with her own daughter having disappeared in the Paracel Islands, must possess more information than they had painstakingly uncovered. Xie Yuchen decided to enlist Huo Xiuxiu's help to extract clues from her grandmother.
He then stated that after sending Wu Xie back to Beijing, he would return to his massage business in Hangzhou. Wu Xie, along with Cox Hendry's team, commenced their search in Yang Jiao Mountain near the jade servant cave, using axes and chisels to locate the ancient building's entrance. Cox Hendry's men grew impatient as days passed without success. During a break, Wu Xie showed Fatty a map he had drawn of the underwater Yao Village.
Fatty was astonished to see that its layout was identical to the surface village of Banai. Fatty suggested a natural disaster had flooded the original village, leading the forefathers to rebuild an exact replica. However, Wu Xie dismissed this, explaining that such a precise replication would require advanced technology unavailable at the time, and no local legends supported it.
He theorized that the lake was a closed body of water connected to the mountain, and the original village was likely built within the mountain itself. Someone then deliberately siphoned water to create the lake, submerging and hiding the entire settlement. This led Wu Xie to a bold hypothesis, connecting it to Panma's story about demons and the replacement of the old expedition team. He called it a "mirror conspiracy."
He speculated that Uncle Gui's village was a deliberate, identical replica built to conceal the disappearance of the true village. The original villagers were gone, replaced by another group impersonating them to carry out their own hidden agenda. However, their ultimate purpose remained a mystery, lost to time. As Wu Xie mused on his theory, Fatty suddenly noticed a striking resemblance between the Yao Village map and Zhang Qiling's Qilin tattoo.
Upon closer inspection, Wu Xie confirmed that the location of the ancient building on the map perfectly aligned with the Qilin's eye on Zhang Qiling's body. This strongly suggested a profound connection between Zhang Qiling and the Zhang family's ancient buildings, despite his amnesia. Their focus was broken when they discovered Yun Cai was missing. A note, signed by the "sloped-shoulder man," was left behind, instructing them to go to Buffalo Trench if they wished to save her.
Fatty was furious, but Wu Xie deduced that if the "sloped-shoulder man" intervened now, just as they were close to finding the ancient building's entrance, it confirmed their strategy to search the mountain was correct. Despite the clear trap, they resolved to go together to rescue Yun Cai. As they ventured further, they discovered several blood-stained clothes, presumably Yun Cai's. However, Wu Xie immediately detected that it was fake blood, confirming the "sloped-shoulder man" was setting a simple trap.
They found more such clothes as they approached Buffalo Trench, a clear attempt to lure them. Wu Xie, anticipating poisonous spiders, reminded them to apply protective herbs. Upon entering Buffalo Trench, they heard Yun Cai's desperate cries for help. Fatty, overcome with urgency, lunged forward. Before Wu Xie could caution him further, the "sloped-shoulder man" ambushed them from the shadows. Zhang Qiling immediately engaged the attacker, allowing Fatty to reach Yun Cai.
In his haste to protect her, Fatty gave Yun Cai his jacket, which was coated with repellent herbs, but in doing so, he was accidentally bitten by a poisonous spider. Wu Xie instructed Yun Cai to stay with the unconscious Fatty while he went to find an antidote for the spider venom. Once Wu Xie was out of sight, Yun Cai slowly drew a knife and aimed it at Fatty, but hesitated, seemingly moved by her past affection for him.
Just then, Wu Xie unexpectedly returned. He revealed that he had long suspected Yun Cai, realizing she, like Panma, was working for the "sloped-shoulder man." He explained that the "sloped-shoulder man" had patiently observed them but became anxious and acted only when they started searching for the ancient building's entrance. Wu Xie offered Yun Cai a chance at freedom if she revealed her employer's identity, promising to forgive her actions and keep her betrayal from Fatty.
Coerced and helpless, Yun Cai finally confessed that the man's name was Zhang Qiling. This revelation stunned both Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling. Before they could fully grasp the implications, Yun Cai suddenly began to vomit blood and collapsed. It became clear that the "sloped-shoulder man" had given her a fast-acting poison, and it was now too late to save her. With her last breath, Yun Cai managed to utter an apology to Fatty.
When Fatty regained consciousness, he found Yun Cai dying in his arms and was devastated, unable to comprehend the tragedy. Wu Xie, consumed by guilt for failing to protect her, offered only apologies, choosing not to disclose Yun Cai's betrayal. Heartbroken, Fatty silently carried Yun Cai's body away, walking slowly into Yang Jiao Mountain in the dead of night. Zhang Qiling, burdened by guilt over the "sloped-shoulder man" sharing his name, wondered if he was somehow responsible.
Wu Xie consoled him, acknowledging Zhang Qiling's own complex and mysterious past. Wu Xie then proposed a new extension to his "mirror conspiracy" theory: just as the current Banai village replaced the underwater one, and a new expedition team replaced an older one, could Zhang Qiling himself be a replacement for another "Zhang Qiling"? He pointed out their identical names, long fingers, and prolonged presence in the area.
The only distinguishing feature was Zhang Qiling's Qilin tattoo versus the "sloped-shoulder man"'s Qiongqi tattoo. Wu Xie mused on the possibility that combining these tattoos, or other mythical beast tattoos from the Zhang family, might form a map to the ancient building. However, he concluded that their immediate priority was to help Fatty overcome his immense grief. The following day, Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling discovered Fatty was missing and immediately suspected he had gone to confront the "sloped-shoulder man."
They tracked him to Buffalo Trench, where they found him attempting to set the entire mountain ablaze in a desperate act of vengeance for Yun Cai. Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling intervened, with Wu Xie explaining that even burning all the spiders wouldn't make the "sloped-shoulder man" appear. Despite being stopped, Fatty, still consumed by grief, vowed to turn the mountain upside down until he found the Zhang family's ancient building. Meanwhile, Xie Yuchen met Huo Xiuxiu in Beijing.
He informed her about the Yellow Silk piece Cox Hendry had and its connection to Madam Huo. Huo Xiuxiu expressed her frustration, convinced she couldn't extract any information from her grandmother. Xie Yuchen, however, calmly assured her not to worry, stating he had a plan to get the necessary clues.
